Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB5146 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Raney, González of El Paso H.B. No. 5146
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the establishment of the Building Better Futures
7	7	Program to support educational and occupational skills training
8	8	opportunities and support services for students with intellectual
9	9	and developmental disabilities.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
12	12	Subchapter J-1 to read as follows:
13	13	SUBCHAPTER J-1. BUILDING BETTER FUTURES PROGRAM
14	14	Sec. 61.551. PROGRAM PURPOSE. The purpose of the Building
15	15	Better Futures Program is to facilitate the delivery by
16	16	institutions of higher education and private or independent
17	17	institutions of higher education of educational and occupational
18	18	skills training opportunities and support services to students with
19	19	intellectual and developmental disabilities in an inclusive and
20	20	age-appropriate environment.
21	21	Sec. 61.552. ADMINISTRATION; RULES. (a) The board shall
22	22	administer the Building Better Futures Program and adopt any rules
23	23	necessary to implement the program or this subchapter.
24	24	(b) The board may develop a competitive application process
25	25	for the award of funds to eligible institutions under the program.
26	26	(c) A program or course offered under the Building Better
27	27	Futures Program is exempt from the requirements of Sections 61.0512
28	28	and 61.822.
29	29	Sec. 61.553. INSTITUTION ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible
30	30	to participate in the Building Better Futures Program, an
31	31	institution of higher education or private or independent
32	32	institution of higher education:
33	33	(1) must:
34	34	(A) be approved by or awaiting approval from the
35	35	United States Department of Education to offer a comprehensive
36	36	transition and postsecondary program for students with
37	37	intellectual or developmental disabilities;
38	38	(B) develop and implement a selective admissions
39	39	process to select eligible students under Section 61.554 for
40	40	admission to the institution's comprehensive transition and
41	41	postsecondary program; and
42	42	(C) award a certificate to each student who
43	43	successfully completes the Building Better Futures Program at the
44	44	institution; and
45	45	(2) may not allow credit hours completed under the
46	46	Building Better Futures Program to be transferred toward an
47	47	associate or baccalaureate degree program.
48	48	(b) The board shall establish criteria to ensure that each
49	49	eligible institution that has requested but not yet received
50	50	approval from the United States Department of Education for the
51	51	institution's comprehensive transition and postsecondary program
52	52	obtains that approval not later than the third anniversary of the
53	53	date the institution is initially selected by the board for
54	54	participation in the Building Better Futures Program.
55	55	Sec. 61.554. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to
56	56	participate in the Building Better Futures Program, an applicant
57	57	must:
58	58	(1) apply for admission to a comprehensive transition
59	59	and postsecondary program, or a program that is awaiting approval
60	60	from the United States Department of Education as a comprehensive
61	61	transition and postsecondary program, at an eligible institution;
62	62	(2) be a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the
63	63	United States;
64	64	(3) be a resident of this state under Section 54.052,
65	65	except as provided by Subsection (d) of this section;
66	66	(4) have an intellectual or developmental disability
67	67	diagnosed by a physician, psychologist, or other individual
68	68	qualified by license or statute to make such a diagnosis;
69	69	(5) be able and willing to learn and participate in an
70	70	inclusive classroom and work setting; and
71	71	(6) not be a danger to the applicant's self or others,
72	72	as determined by the accepting institution.
73	73	(b) An applicant who is a lawful permanent resident of the
74	74	United States must submit with the applicant's application a copy
75	75	of the applicant's lawful permanent resident form.
76	76	(c) An eligible institution may require an applicant or the
77	77	applicant's parent or guardian to provide proof of residency as
78	78	evidenced by one of the following:
79	79	(1) information from the Free Application for Federal
80	80	Student Aid;
81	81	(2) a driver's license issued by the Department of
82	82	Public Safety that has not expired;
83	83	(3) documentation of payment for personal or real
84	84	property taxes for the previous year;
85	85	(4) vehicle registration issued by the Texas
86	86	Department of Motor Vehicles that has not expired;
87	87	(5) a voter registration certificate issued in this
88	88	state that has not expired; or
89	89	(6) documentation under Section 54.053.
90	90	(d) An applicant who is not a resident of this state may be
91	91	eligible to participate in the Building Better Futures Program at
92	92	an eligible institution only if an opening is available after all
93	93	resident applicants are admitted.
94	94	Sec. 61.555. AWARD OF FUNDS. The board may award funds
95	95	under the Building Better Futures Program only to eligible
96	96	institutions to be used by the institutions to facilitate the
97	97	delivery of educational and occupational skills training
98	98	opportunities and support services to students participating in the
99	99	program.
100	100	Sec. 61.556. FUNDING. The board may use any available
101	101	revenue, including legislative appropriations, and may solicit and
102	102	accept gifts, grants, and donations from a public or private source
103	103	for the purposes of this subchapter.
104	104	SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
105	105	shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter J-1, Chapter 61,
106	106	Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
107	107	the effective date of this Act.
108	108	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
109	109	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
110	110	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
111	111	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
112	112	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.